The San Diego Wave lost their first game since shocking allegations that team president and former USWNT coach Jill Ellis created an “abusive environment” at the NWSL franchise.
Alex Morgan and her teammates were defeated 1-0 by the Portland Thorns on Friday thanks to a dramatic 85th-minute game-winning goal from Izzy D’Aquila.
It made a difficult week for the Wave even worse after Ellis was accused by a former videographer for the team of “creating an environment that fosters abuse among her subordinates.”
Brittany Alvarado, who said she is a former video and creative manager for the team, called on the NWSL to remove team president Ellis from her position.
She cited a poor work environment that was discriminatory and took a toll on her mental health in a long post on the social platform X, formerly known as Twitter.
Alex Morgan and her teammates were defeated 1-0 by the Portland Thorns on Friday night
Wave forward Maria Sanchez dribbles away from Reyna Reyes at Providence Park
The Wave responded with a statement saying the team “has been made aware of a recent social media post from a former employee that contains inaccurate and defamatory statements about the club.”
The Wave further said that they were looking into possible legal avenues available to deal with the matter.
“Jill Ellis has no place in this game and she has been forgiven for far too long,” Alvarado wrote of the English-born manager, who won two World Cups with the U.S. team during her celebrated career on the sidelines.
Alvarado doesn’t blame Ellis for everything she says she’s endured, but does believe Ellis is the driving force behind the team’s massive revenue losses since its inaugural season in 2021.
“Since the team was founded, more than 30 employees have been fired or have resigned, almost 75 percent of whom are women. This underlines the deep problems within the club,” Alvarado claimed in her post on X.
“Unfortunately, many of these workers are reluctant to talk publicly about their experiences, reflecting the widespread fear surrounding these issues.”
Alvarado did give an example, but it was not directly about Ellis.
Brittany Alvarado (pictured) made her announcement on social media on Wednesday
Ellis won two World Cups with the U.S. national team before moving to the NWSL’s Wave
Instead, Alvarado shared a terse email, which she claims was sent to her by a member of the team’s senior leadership team, shortly after her recent firing.
“You are the most pathetic person I have ever met,” read the email, titled 6-17. “You must have no sense of work ethic (sic) or integrity. We are overjoyed (sic) that you are no longer with the club.”
The team continues to maintain that this email was fabricated.
“Not only does the message contain a fabricated email, but the claims made within it are patently false, including those directed at our chairwoman Jill Ellis,” a club spokeswoman said in a statement.
Team captain Alex Morgan later posted her own statement on social media.
“I am disappointed to hear of the allegations made today by multiple former Wave FC employees,” Morgan wrote on X.
Alvarado believes Ellis has been the driving force behind the team’s massive staff turnover
‘As players, we have worked hard to build a team that provides an inclusive, positive and safe environment.
“But it’s important to me that we create that environment for both players AND staff throughout the organization. Equality in the workplace is something I’ve advocated for and will continue to advocate for.
“I want to be proud of what we’re building at Wave, but it’s clear there’s still a lot of work to do.”